I need to decide what support I want for my standard grades this year its really hard because I am sitting general Credit in all my exams except English which is Foundation General. problem is the general exam would appear to be mostly write on books which I do better with a scribe. The Credit has mor writing and I do better with a computer. Apparantly I cant have both has anyone else had this sort of situation.

I would take the computer every time. I hate reading out loud to strange people, but with a computer i just get on with it. I also get 25% extra time on top of that.

This is because:

cOmputer-

My handwriting is under 15 words per minute. My hand aches after a couple of words. It gets extruciating after a paragraph or two. I have a 'death grip' meaning I grip my pencil in the wrong position and way to hard you can see the whites of my nail. If i try to write fast it becomes almost illegbal and my hand hurts even quicker.

Extra time-

Although I have the computer, I do not work at the same speed as my classmates. I am a fast typer and reader. Lots of people are baffled when i explain i get both.

I need time to process thoughts in my head. I need more time to think and organize my answer. My short term memory is so bad i forget a 'quote' that is more than a couple of words, and have to keep going back to the paper, same with reading long questions. I need more time because my brain sense of time is very different from the real thing! (I.E. Much slower)
I get distracted easily, say if somone starts sneezing, i need time to regain my focus. I need time because I have severe co-ordination issues and often i kbnock things on the floor, meaning i have to pick them back up all the time!

Hi Andy.
My daughter had a scribe and extra time for her Mahs and Science SATS this year. She told the sribe her answers and the scribe wrote them down for her. My daughter did her own workings out on the paper if she needed to. We have been told that she will get a scribe and extra time for her GSE'sif she still needs them.

I already get a scribe and reader also extra time if I want but sometimes especially for writing longer pieces I feel that It would be easier on the computer. Mind you I dont suppose it matters much cos I have been getting lousy marks in my class tests just now Im not studying enough or really I just dont know how to study properlyanyone got any tips. Should I just read the books or do past papers and how long should I study for I have another two tests next week maths and physics the results will tell what grade I sit my prelims at in six weeks time I really do need some advice.

They offered me a choice between a computer and a scribe. The rules may be slightly different in Scotland, but in England you are given no extra time to redo your work if your computer crashes and you lose everything. It is a risk you agree to undertake when you accept the computer. The risk is minimal, especially if you take care to save your work every few minutes to the hard drive and to disk. I only had one such (heart-stopping) problem in my public exams, and as I took six A-Levels and a couple of extension papers the darned contraption had twice the usual number of opportunities to go wrong! As I had saved diligently throughout the exam, there wasn't any problem about retrieving my work. The likelihood of this happening is very small.

A scribe, on the other hand, won't break down at all. The risk just doesn't exist. However, I turned down a scribe because I get on faster with typing and I'm not very good at marshalling my thoughts into speech in those sorts of circumstances. I need to sit and play with a pencil for at least five minutes on some occasions, getting my thoughts in order, and the scribe would probably get impatient. It's easier for me to 'think' in writing than in speech.

Make a list of the strengths and weakness of each option and then go with the one that looks best overall.

I get on faster with typing and I'm not very good at marshalling my thoughts into speech in those sorts of circumstances. I need to sit and play with a pencil for at least five minutes on some occasions, getting my thoughts in order, and the scribe would probably get impatient. It's easier for me to 'think' in writing than in speech.

Make a list of the strengths and weakness of each option and then go with the one that looks best overall.

This is what i meant, I have a computer instead for exactly the same reasons!

Andy, I've just seen your request for studying tips. I'd be happy to help you. Could you please list the exams you are taking and write what you find most difficult about studying for each? That will help us to make our advice more specific and hopefully more useful!

The standard grade exams I am sitting are
1: English I have problems skim reading a text also close reading I am not a very fast reader also I think I lose concentration probably half way through the text.

Maths: I think I am prob ok at that sitting general credit expected to get a credit pass. but again it is the problem solving that loses me marks. I have probs interpreting the question.

Physics: Again its the problem solving that loses me marks interpreting the questions my Knowledge and understanding is ok.

History: Knowledge and understanding is ok its the enquiry skills that cause me probs.

Geography: Enquiry skills again!

Administration: Im probably ok at this as it is straightforward learning facts.

I am told that I think very literally so I find it hard to look for meaning in scripts or questions.

At my school everyone apply for everything (scribe, laptop, extra time and reader) as it a sp learner school. I got a laptop , reader and extra time but im still deciding weather to use the reader or not.

Andy, I'm extremely busy at the moment, but I promise I will prepare some tips and strategies for you by Saturday at the latest. I won't be able to help much with maths and science subjects, but I should be able to cook up a plan for English, history, and geography.